US, Australia focused on Indo-Pacific defence

Australia's defence minister says the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan next year will mean a greater focus for Australia on the Asia Pacific.

Mr Smith is in Washington, where he's held talks with the new US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel.

He's told Australia Network's Newsline the talks focused on issues including the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan - which he says will give Australia a renewed regional focus.

"Our immediate are of responsibility and operation is the South Pacific and Timor Leste, and also South East Asia," he said.

"With the drawdown from Afghanistan... we've got the chance now to enhance the exercise, the training and our collaboration with the South Pacific and South East Asia, and that will be very important to us as we go forward."

Mr Smith's visit comes in the wake of the 2013 Defence White Paper, which spells out strategic priorities focusing on the Indo-Pacific region.

He says the United States is also examining its engagement with the 'Indo-Pacific arc'.

"The arc that stretches from the United States Pacific coastline - as one wag has put to me, from Hollywood to Bollywood," he said.

"It reflects the fact that not only do we see two great powers - the United States and China, but that down the track we'll see three great powers - the United States, China and India."

"It just reflects the fact that economic weight, strategic weight, military weight...is moving to our part of the world."

Mr Smith's US visit follows recent talks with Pacific military leaders in Tonga, which some analysts have speculated may have been aimed at addressing China's growing influence in the region.

He says the role of Chinese influence in bringing about those talks is overstated.

"It's the first time that defence ministers in the South Pacific - Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Papua New Guinea - we also invited Chile which is a Pacific country, and also France because of its interest in the Pacific itself - and met formally for the first time," he said.

"I think it really reflects that having spent more than 10 years with overseas operations in Afghanistan...and peace stabilisation missions in the Solomons Islands and Timor Leste itself, it was a chance to go back to home base.

"Some people interpret all of what we do as aimed at China - it's not. China is free to pursue its interest in the Pacific, just as its free to pursue its interests in the Indo-Pacific more generally."